Spooky Black Cocoa Sugar Cookie Bars

These black cocoa sugar cookie bars are scary good! The bottom cookie layer is soft and fluffy but still perfectly dense and chewy - it's almost like a mix between a cookie and a cake! The black cocoa powder adds a deep, dark color and a rich and chocolaty flavor. It's all topped off with chocolate ganache and cute little white chocolate ghosts!

what makes these black cocoa sugar cookie bars so good?

First off, the flavor. Black cocoa powder has a distinctly rich and dramatic flavor - almost like a dark chocolate bar but less bitter. So think: Oreo cookies meet sugar cookies covered in chocolate. That's what these bars are!

Second, these cookies have the ULTIMATE sugar cookie texture.... but fudgier. They're soft and chewy with just the right amount of fluffiness and air. They have a hint of cakiness but are still equally dense and fudgy. They're really like a cake meets brownies meets cookies.

Thirdly, this dough is super easy to make and much quicker to put together than a classic roll out sugar cookie dough. No chill time, no waiting around and having to roll and reroll dough. Just whip everything up and pack into your pan to bake!

And finally: the decorations!! I'm so obsessed with the cute little ghosts and the irregular cutouts. The design idea is from Half Baked Harvest and I think it adds the cutest little spooky factor!

And just like with my black velvet cake recipe, the best thing about Halloween recipes is that they look better when they're messier! So it's always so much fun to decorate treats like these.

working with black cocoa

Like I mentioned above, black cocoa powder has a unique flavor when compared to Dutch processed or unsweetened cocoa. It's used in most homemade Oreo cookie recipes to achieve their deep color and special cookies and cream flavor. So if you love Oreo cookies, this is the treat for you!

When compared to other types of cocoa, black cocoa powder has a finer texture and (as a result) is more prone to clumping - especially when stored for a longer period of time. Because of this, it should be sifted before adding it into the dry ingredients.

Just whisking the black cocoa powder doesn't do a good enough job of breaking up those clumps and they will create little dry pockets in the cookies. You don't need to sift any of the other ingredients though.

So TLDR: sift the cocoa powder!

no black cocoa powder?

You can substitute the black cocoa powder for an equal amount of Dutch processed or unsweetened cocoa. But if you do make the swap, you'll either need to add black food coloring to the sugar cookie dough or just enjoy a brownish reddish colored cookie. The flavor of the cookie bars will also be slightly different. They'll be more comparable to a regular chocolate cookie as opposed to an Oreo cookie.

how to make black cocoa sugar cookie bars

I can't stress enough how much of a time saver it is to make sugar cookies in one big baking pan as opposed to chilling, rolling, and cutting out actual shapes. It's still just as fun, but a lot easier to put together.

This recipe starts with the sugar cookie dough. The steps are super simple and straightforward and it yields an incredibly chewy and perfect cookie every time!

After sifting the cocoa powder and mixing it into the other dry ingredients, the butter and sugar are creamed together until pale in color before the eggs and vanilla are whisked in. Then the dry ingredients are folded in to finish off the dough. It's literally THAT easy.

Once the dough is ready, it's then dropped into the baking pan, spread into an even layer, and baked! Make sure to cool the cookie completely to room temperature (in the pan) before frosting.

decorating Halloween sugar cookie bars

Now for the most fun part in my opinion (aside from actually digging in, obviously). It's time to decorate! You can have a lot of fun with the decorations or even just serve these bars plain with the ganache drizzled on top. If you want to go ahead with the ghost decorations, here's how to do it!

First off, pour almost all of the ganache over the cooled cookie slab but reserve about 1 tablespoon to use for the ghost eyes and mouths. Spread the ganache evenly over the cookie from edge to edge.

Now, drop a small spoonful of melted white chocolate onto a spot on the ganache. Use a spatula or butter knife to spread the blob of white chocolate into a little tail for the ghost. You can see the below images to get a visual of what I mean:

Dip the tip of a toothpick into that reserved ganache and use it to dot facial features for the ghosts. I did a few ghosts with mouths and a few without. Repeat until you have several little ghosts on the cookie.

If the white chocolate starts hardening while you're working, pop it into your microwave to remelt it if needed. You can also place the bowl of white chocolate over a pot of barely simmering water to melt it if you don't have a microwave.

I like to also crush some Oreo cookies and sprinkle the crumbs in between the ghosts on any empty spots. You can do that, add sprinkles, or just leave it plain if you prefer.

Once you're done decorating, place the baking sheet into your fridge to allow the ganache and ghosts to set slightly before pulling the cookie out of the pan and slicing.

how to cut black cocoa sugar cookie bars

These bars are really easy to cut (especially since - again - the messier, the spookier!) But that being said, there is still such a thing as too messy.

So the first step to ensuring you get cleaner slices is to allow the ganache to set in the fridge for a few minutes beforehand. The ganache will still be glossy and soft, but it shouldn't be runny. If you start cutting and notice the ganache starts dripping down the sides, place it back in the fridge for a few more minutes before trying again.

Next, make sure to use a nice, sharp knife and cut straight down (as opposed to sawing back and fourth) for the cleanest slice. And finally, wipe the knife clean in between cuts if you notice any stuck on cookie crumbs or chocolate.

You can slice as many bars as you'd like from this cookie. I personally find 16 larger bars or 20 medium sized bars are usually perfect for me. I'll also occasionally do 24 even smaller bars - so it really is up to you.

Check out these other recipes!

• Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Spiced Pumpkin Truffles
• Mini Pumpkin Shaped Cookies
• Ooey Gooey Magic Bars

Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.

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Enjoy!